To The Death
by LetTheInsanityBegin
Summary: Glee/Hunger Games fic. Finn and Kurt have both been selected as Tributes in Panem's first ever Quarter Quell, and it isn't the same as last year. Rebel forces are planning something huge, something that may change Panem forever... Rough draft, please R&R!
1. Life In District 7

**This is something that popped into my head a while ago, and I decided to really develop it, because the idea just wouldn't budge. So, chapter one is here! It may be taken down for beta reading, so be aware that this is pretty rough.**

**Oh, and I don't own the Hunger Games, Glee, or any characters in either series.**

* * *

><p>Finn sprinted down the dirt track, rocks flying everywhere from underneath his shoes. Panting as he ran, he looked behind him once and pushed forward down the street. Stealing food was getting harder and harder these days, especially with the new rules stated in President Snow's most recent speech, and the installation of an actual law enforcement in the slums.<p>

Reaching home, Finn stumbled through the front door, and into his mother's arms. Catching his breath, he extracted the loaf of bread he had stuffed down his shirt at the market. Presenting it to his mother, he gave a half smile.

"It took a while to pluck up the courage to get this, 'specially with all those Peacemakers running around with the new buzz batons." Carole Hudson-Hummel tutted.

"You shouldn't have Finn! You _know_ how dangerous it is to do that. For the life of me, I don't know why don't you just buy it?" Finn laughed.

"Come on Mom, d'you know how much a loaf of bread costs now? _4 silver pieces_. You know we can't afford that. Besides, it's more fun this way." Shaking her head, Carole took the bread out of Finn's hands and walked over to the kitchen.

"Alright, but this is the _last time_, you hear me? You don't want to be caught stealing from them this time of year." Finn rolled his eyes. The Reaping was approaching and everyone knew that anyone misbehaving had every chance of being picked as a Tribute.

"Mom, nothing's going to happen. Kurt and I didn't get picked the last 5 years, we won't get picked this year."

"Well, what about your friends? Aren't you worried for them, huh?" Leaning on the table, Finn made a face at his mother.

"Mom, they won't get picked either. You know there's always the volunteers. Though I don't know why they even want to volunteer for-"

"-And you'd best be careful what you say, Finn Hudson. We don't want any unwanted visitors, _do we_?" Finn sighed.

"_No_, Mom."

Within that same moment, the front door swung open to reveal the other half of Finn's family- Burt and Kurt Hummel. Carole rushed over and made a fuss over Kurt. Unsurprisingly, he was sporting a black eye for the third time that week. Seeing this, Finn growled and made to run out the door. Kurt grabbed his shoulder, though, and pulled him back.

"It's not worth it Finn! Really, it was my fault." Finn shook his brother's hand off.

"I'm gonna kill 'em." Burt interrupted.

"Finn. As much as I would love to let you go do this, hurting them isn't going to solve anything." Blinking back tears of anger, Finn nodded stiffly.

"O-Ok Burt."

Ending the night in tears was a Hudson-Hummel family tradition. It wasn't because they fought, but rather because the rest of the world seemed to enjoy the family's misfortune. Most of the abuse was doled out on Kurt, the youngest and weakest boy in the District. Kurt had also realised in the last year or so that he was gay. He had confessed to his father and one boy from school had overheard. This lead to the weekly abuse he now received.

However, since Kurt's father and Finn's mother had married, people had seemed to lay off Kurt a little. Maybe it was the fact that Finn and Kurt had become very close- as brothers, nothing more- and there seemed to be an understanding that anyone who messed with Kurt was messing with Finn.

This arrangement had been well and good, until the last month or so. A particularly bold boy called Azimio had ignored Finn's warnings and thought it was cool to harass Kurt and the problem had quickly escalated. Between the bullies at school and the constant pressure to provide for the family, Kurt had been shoved to the bottom of the food chain once again.

Despite all this, and everything that came their way, the Hudson-Hummel family were still there- they were still surviving, no matter what.

* * *

><p>The next day, Finn approached Azimio and his goons at school. It had to be him that had hit Kurt last night. No one hated his brother more than these idiots.<p>

"Hey, Azimio!" He called. The boy turned around.

"Well, if it isn't LadyBoy's boy toy! You going to go suck him off now?" He jeered. His cronies sniggered. Finn ignored the cheap shot.

"Leave him alone." He said in a tired voice.

"Or what?" More sniggering from the other guys. Finn's eyes narrowed. Today he didn't merciful- especially after last night.

"How about you leave him alone- or I will _fucking beat your face in_."

He placed particular emphasis on every word, making himself sound way more dangerous than he actually was. In truth, Finn had never hit anyone in his life.

"Ooh! Boy Toy's getting scary!" Azimio taunted. Finn's hands slowly curled into fists and every muscle tensed, ready for a fight. There probably would have been one, if a teacher hadn't chosen that moment to walk past the little scene.

"Hey! What's going on here?" They called out. Finn looked towards the voice- it was only then that he realised they had attracted a small crowd. Turning back to Azimio as the teacher pushed through into the centre, Finn struggled to keep his gaze from wavering.

"Nothing's going on, sir." He said through gritted teeth. The teacher looked from Azimio, who was doing his best to look innocent, to Finn, who was trying not to throw himself at Azimio and his sidekicks. Both sides knew that if they told the truth about the situation, nothing would happen anyway. No one at school cared about Kurt, so Azimio and his friends could get away with anything. The teacher finally deduced that nothing violent was going on, and therefore there was no one to punish. Finn set his jaw and began to walk away too. Azimio, however, wasn't going to let Finn get away this time.

"What, is that it, Hudson?" He crowed. Finn just shook his head, trying to ignore the annoying insults Azimio threw at him.

"You _are _a coward! Just like your father!"

The words echoed in Finn's brain, and he saw red.

Before he knew it, he was on top of Azimio, beating him to a bloody pulp. Finn released every bit of anger he had Azimio, striking every part of him that wasn't protected. It wasn't long before two pairs of strong arms gripped his own and pulled him back. On one side, he saw Kurt- on the other he saw the teacher that had approached them before.

"_WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!_" He thundered. Azimio stood up, holding his face in his hands. Finn was oddly pleased to see that his nose bleeding, he had a split lip and a bruise was starting to form on his right eye. He shook the teacher and Kurt off his arms and the teacher ran over to attend to the now whimpering Azimio.

Finn didn't wait around for anyone to yell at him- he just ran. Oblivious to anyone who might be calling out to him, he sprinted out of the building and down a dirt track. It wasn't long before he hit a dead end- an eletrified fence. Luckily, there was a hole, which was big enough for Finn to climb through and the fence wasn't always on. Quickly he tested the fence for electrification, ducked through the hole and kept going. He reached the tree cover and found a little clearing. It was then that he sat down and rested his head in his hands. Tears were running down his face and he let them- why bother trying to dry them? Even more would fall. He huddled there, quietly sobbing, until he heard a twig snap. Finn immediately jumped to his feet. On guard, he turned around to find himself face to face with Kurt, who looked very accusing, but confused. Hastily Finn tried to wipe the tears away. He had to be a good big brother. He had to be strong, dependable. He couldn't cry. Kurt just tutted and looked to Finn for an explanation as to what had just happened.

"Kurt, I-I..." Finn tried to form a sentence, but none would come. Kurt took in Finn's appearance- especially noting the tear tracks on his face and the blood on his hands- literally.

"He insulted your father, didn't he?" Kurt said, his voice slicing through the air. Finn still couldn't say anything, so he nodded instead. Kurt's expression softened. He awkwardly stepped forward and slipped his arms around Finn's middle. In turn, Finn wrapped his arms around Kurt's neck, his tears running freely now. They stood there for a while, until Finn's sobs subsided. Kurt silently slid his hand into Finn's and led him home.

* * *

><p><strong>Please tell me what you think! Reviews are awesome! :)<strong>

**LetTheInsanityBegin**


	2. The Reaping: Part 1

**A/N: You know the drill. I don't own the Hunger Games, or Glee, or any of the characters, except the ones you don't recognise.**

* * *

><p><em>Kurt's expression softened. He awkwardly stepped forward and slipped his arms around Finn's middle. In turn, Finn wrapped his arms around Kurt's neck, tears running freely now. They stood there for while, until Finn's sobs subsided.<em>

* * *

><p>It was the Reaping in no time and Finn and Kurt were getting increasingly nervous. Every year you didn't get picked meant that the chances of getting picked the next year were twice as high. The entire of the village gathered in the square, facing the podium to watch what was apparently a celebration of unity of the world. Wearing their best clothes for the occasion, Kurt and Finn stepped into line, alphabetically. That was the only thing the brothers liked about this order. No matter what, they were together. A horn sounded and any thoughts but thoughts about the games faded from Finn's mind. Suddenly, his mind constructed a brief fantasy world in which Kurt was picked as a Tribute. In his feverish mind, he himself volunteered to take Kurt's place. It was then that Finn knew that if anything were to happen to Kurt, he would never be able to forgive himself for it.<p>

Waiting in silence for the announcements, Kurt looked around at the other possible Tributes. Only two would be chosen from the district. Two out of a possible... fifty kids? Kurt tried to stop thinking about the statistics. It would only make his head hurt and make himself more nervous. "_Hem hem._" Hearing that sound made Finn's heart almost jump out of his chest. He looked up to the podium, where he spotted a woman that could only be the official here to pick the Tributes. She was wearing a large extravagant blue hat, a shiny purple suit and bright blue shoes. To add to that, anyone could tell that she had had many operations done to make herself look younger and more attractive. Her high cheekbones and thin neck made her look quite breakable and delicate.

"Good morning loyal citizens!" Kurt winced at her Capitol accent. It could only be described as a drawling trill. How she managed that, Kurt would never know. She rolled her 'r's so much it hurt to listen, placed a monstrous emphasis on her 'o's and everything she said ended with a high pitched giggle.

"It is _so_ wonderful to see you all here today!" The woman gurgled, "I, as you all know, am Jellia Shine and I am _so_ happy to be here." Finn raised an eyebrow at her words. No one looked less happy to be here than Ms Jellia Shine.

She continued with her mandatory speech about how wonderful the village was and how she had enjoyed visiting, but both brothers could tell she was itching to catch the next ride back to the Capitol then and there.

"Now, let's get straight down to business!" Jellia gushed. Kurt and Finn perked up and started paying attention. As she reached the bowl which held every child's name, aged 12-18 in the District, Finn held his breath. Would it be him? This year, would he survive another Reaping? He had no time to think about it- Jellia was already reading the first Tribute's name.

"Our first Tribute from District 7..."

Everyone held their breath, as they always did.

"Our first Tribute, is Mr Kurt Hummel!"

The world stopped, and Finn fell off.

* * *

><p><strong>Please tell what you think! I'm really sorry about the short chapter, I just didn't have a better place to stop it. I needed a cliffhanger.<strong>


	3. The Reaping: Part 2

**Hey there! Chapter three is here for your enjoyment! Please R&R!**

**Oh yeah. I own nothing you recognise. Unless you recognise what I own. In that case, I do own it.**

* * *

><p>Finn could hear the blood pumping in his veins. Slowly, he moved his eyes to watch Kurt. He had an unreadable expression on his face as the Peacemakers guided him to the stage. Everything told Finn to stop Kurt from walking up there, but his limbs wouldn't move. He couldn't speak- he couldn't think. Everything was numb. So he stood there, straight-backed and stony-faced, despite the cries from his heart to stop this happening.<p>

Jellia smiled an almost grotesque grin as Kurt approached her. Everything about his world was slowly crumbling in front of him.

As he stood in the front of the crowd, he kept his face void of emotion. Better not show them what he was thinking- or rather, what he wanted to say. His eyes met Finn's as he scanned the crowd. The pain was evident in his eyes- he knew what Finn was thinking. He willed his brother with all his heart not to volunteer. His dad and Carole needed him to keep food on the table. More importantly to Kurt, they needed a son there, while the other one was surely going to die.

Per tradition, Jellia Shine asked the crowd for any volunteers. The five long seconds passed as Kurt kept thinking the same thing over and over again. "Don't you dare Finn! Don't you dare even think about it." When no one stepped forward, Jellia moved to select the next Tribute. Kurt's heart felt like a huge weight had been lifted. Finn was going to be ok, and so were Dad and Carole.

Of course, Kurt's life had never been very kind, and it wasn't about to get any better.

"Our second Tribute for District 7 will be... Mr Finn Hudson!" Kurt's eyes widened unintentionly.  
>"What?" He yelped before he stop himself.<br>Finn did the same, and so did the entire District. Jellia Shine was looking very satisfied- apparently the gender of the Tributes didn't matter. She motioned for the Peacemakers to bring Finn up. She then turned to the baffled crowd, looking ever gracious and most definitely smug.  
>"Ladies and gentlemen, I know this may seem a little... confusing... However, please don't fret! I knew there was a detail that slipped my mind!" Jellia's voice became an unpleasantly high pitched whine.<br>"The Capitol has decided to change things up for the first Quarter Quell games! This year, there will be 48 Tributes entered into the Games- two courageous girls and boys from each District."

Kurt almost rolled his eyes at Jellia Shine's ridiculousness, before the gravity of the situation came crashing down on him. Finn was in the Games too. Finn was in the Games... with Kurt. Which meant that the Hudson-Hummels had to watch both of their sons die. A sob slipped from his throat, before Kurt did his best to compose himself. Anguish filled his eyes as he looked at his older brother ascending the steps to the stage.

Finn climbed up the steps slowly, as though he were an old man with aching limbs.  
>He took in the scene unfolding around him, before his eyes found Kurt once more. The boy's own eyes were filled with the most unimaginable pain. It took every effort for Finn to keep looking at Kurt- his emotions didn't usually show, but Finn knew how to read him. The pain the smaller boy was feeling hit him full on. Tears threatened to spill out of his eyes as he took his place next to his brother, forcing himself to stare straight ahead.<p>

The whole exchange had taken less than thirty seconds, but to Finn it could have taken a lifetime. The world was in slow motion as he gazed down at the crowd in a stupor.

Then, everything sped up, and sound returned.

Jellia Shine stepped up to the microphone once again, clutching a slip of paper in her hand. She announced the remaining Tributes- one shaking, thin girl who promptly burst into tears when she was called and one dark eyed girl who simply bowed her head in resignation when she heard her name. After the Reaping, one by one, Finn, Kurt and the girls were all escorted to the most official building in the District, where they were instructed to say their goodbyes. Finn and Kurt were surprisingly allowed to stay in the same room. Unsurprisingly, their first visitors were Carole and Burt. Carole rushed in and scooped both boys into a tight hug, while Burt stood stock still, just taking in Kurt and Finn's faces.  
>"Look after each as much as you can." Carole kept saying.<br>"We'll try." Finn replied each time. What else could he say? 'Sure, Mom'? 'Don't worry, I'll get him home safely'? Every word he said seemed wrong. After a while, the family was left in silence. They had the entire hour to say goodbye- Finn and Kurt wouldn't receive any more visitors.  
>After sitting in silence for ten minutes. Burt spoke up for the first time.<br>"Finn, how much do you remember from the combat training crash course?" Finn frowned.  
>"A little, I guess. Burt, why-"<br>"Kurt, can you remember what I've been teaching you?" Kurt looked up in confusion.  
>"Of course. But can-"<br>"You fight them. Kurt, Finn, you hear me? Don't go down without a fight. Don't lay down and die." Carole stood up in shock.  
>"Burt, what are you-"<br>"Carole, I'm trying to save their lives! The more they know, the better chance they have of getting out alive!" Carole looked from her husband, to her two sons.  
>"A-Alright." She stammered.<br>"We'll fight. Don't worry Burt. There's no way I'm going to let a Career call me 'Last Friday's Kill'." Finn said finally.  
>"And I refuse to let any of them get the better of me." Kurt said with determination.<br>Burt nodded, as if that was all he ever needed to hear.

Thirty minutes later and Carole was squeezing the last hug she could out of the boys. In the end, a Peacekeeper had to come forward and ask her to leave the room. Burt hugged Finn and Kurt as well, and gave some parting words of wisdom.  
>"Look after each other, and you fight. Whatever happens, you fight to the last breath. You hear me? Do whatever it takes to get out of there." The brothers both nodded stiffly.<br>"I will be proud of you both, no matter what." Burt twisted his mouth into a small smile -it was the best he could manage under the circumstances- and hugged the boys one last time.

After being escorted out of the building, Carole turned to Burt, a fierce look on their face.  
>"What was that about? Why on earth would you tell them that, Burt Hummel?" Burt rubbed his forehead in aggravation.<br>"Because I can't lose them, Carole! At least this way, they have a chance to get home! And even if only one can come home, it's better than none!" He all but yelled. Carole stood there, shocked. A tear trickled down her face, but she said nothing.

_'Even if only one can home, it's better than none. That's assuming that one will make it home.'_ The thought wormed it's way into Carole's consciousness before she could react. The dark idea swirled around in her head and caused her to burst into tears in the middle of the street.  
><em>'I can't lose them. I just can't.'<em>

* * *

><p><strong><em><em>So there you go! Finn and Kurt are both off the to the Games. I know it seems like a pretty weak reason for them both to go to the Games, but I really needed some way to get them both to go, because I have big plans for them in the Capitol and Arena..**

**I just want to say now that yes, the rest of New Directions will turn up soon.**

**As for ships, let me know who you think I should put Kurt and Finn -and the rest of the characters- with!  
><strong>

**LetTheInsanityBegin**


End file.
